Breath of Life
by Sukiya62
Summary: Adrien's life has been a monotonous, grey blur ever since his mother died. Then one day he runs into a girl on the street, and suddenly the world around him grew lively and colorful once more. {Adrinette} No Miraculous AU


I know I should finish my other works first, but f it, amirite? Also I apologize for this being so short, but I didn't wanna drag things on, ya know? It's not good storytelling, guys. Hopefully the next one will be longer tho... when I get to it.

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 ** _Chapter One_**

Adrien let out a bit of a sigh as he sat down in the changing room, finally done with his last photo shoot for the day. He took a moment to relax in the chair, releasing some of the tension he had. After resting for a moment, he got up and changed into his street clothes. He ran a hand through his hair as he picked up his phone, hitting the button and watching his lock screen light up. No notifications. What did he expect? He was never sure _why_ he checked his phone as often as he did; Adrien didn't have any friends, and it's not like constantly checking his phone would make them magically appear. He dragged his hand down his face then, effectively silencing his thoughts as he put his phone in his pocket. He slipped his shoes back on and then left the dressing room and made his way out of the building. Adrien had a bit of free time today, not needing to be home for a few hours, so he decided to use this time to wander around Paris and enjoy the sights. He rarely ever had time to himself so whenever he did, he liked to use that time to relax and wind down from his stressful life. As he walked, he looked around like he was seeing Paris for the first time. It's hard to fully enjoy the sights from the backseat of a car.

Eventually, Adrien walked by Tuileries Garden. He stopped on the sidewalk, looking around a bit. He watched people walking around and chatting, some were sitting down, there were even a few people laid out on the grass. He smiled a bit to himself, deciding that the garden would be a nice, tranquil place to relax. He walked into the garden then, walking along the sidewalk and absorbing the beauty and tranquility of the place. Since it was spring, all the flowers were in bloom and that just added to the atmosphere. He watched as children played and ran around while the parents looked on from either the grass or the benches. A somewhat sad smile graced his features as he watched the families. He could vaguely remember spending time with his mother here... and a part of him even doubted if it ever happened. He shook the thoughts from his mind, shoving his hands in his pockets and resumed his walk through the garden. He was here to feel at peace, not wallow in more self-pity.

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking, but after a while, he turned his head to look back at the people on the grass and stopped in his tracks. She had a blanket spread out beneath her on the grass and a box _full_ of colored pencils and sketching supplies. She had a sketchbook in her lap and a box of, what looked to be, baked goods beside her. He couldn't really see much else with her back being turned to him, but that didn't really seem to matter. He wasn't sure what it was about her that drew him in, but before he even realized it, he was approaching her. He quickly became nervous as he was literally the absolute _worst_ at socializing. As he drew closer to her, he stopped mentally kicking himself and began frantically thinking of conversation topics. Too soon, though, he arrived at her blanket. Thankfully, though, she seemed to be lost in her own little world, so that gave him a few extra seconds to think of conversation starters. However, his mouth betrayed him and spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"What're you drawing?" he asked.

She jumped slightly, as his question broke her from the trance she was in, and she turned to look up at him. His breath caught in the back of his throat. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, maybe even bluer, and her raven hair was tied up into a neat bun near the top of her head, with two perfectly curled tendrils framing her face. Her cheeks still seemed to be chubby, despite her being around his age (or so he assumed) and the smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose set his heart racing. If he thought he was doomed before, he was even more so now as she gave him a warm smile. Was it just him, or did everything just get brighter?

"Oh, nothing much really. I've been in a bit of a design slump so I figured coming out here might help. So far it has." she answered cheerfully. Adrien felt as if he could melt. Her voice was so soft and airy, it made him feel safe.

"Designs?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm going to school right now, but I'm hoping once I get out I'll have a good enough portfolio to get into a good fashion company. It's always been a dream of mine." she said, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Adrien gave her a small nod and returned her warm smile with one of his own.

"Well, would you mind if I joined you? I'd love to look at your designs." She flashed him a huge grin that almost stopped his heart.

"Not at all! Let me move a few things first." she said, quickly getting to work and moving her things to clear a spot for him on her blanket. He took this opportunity to look her over more. She had on a short sleeved shirt since it was a warm spring day. It was white with a pink and black floral pattern. She also had on a pair of black shorts that stopped about an inch above her knee. As for shoes, he saw that there was a pair of sandals by the edge of the blanket, so that meant she was currently barefoot. "Alright!" she exclaimed, snapping the model out of his thoughts. "You're free to sit now. Oh! And feel free to grab some pastries." she added, opening the box and revealing an assortment of baked goods. He wanted to eat _all_ of them. Instead, he smiled politely and sat down. He then reached into the box and grabbed a croissant.

"Thank you." he said, then took a bite. It was probably the best croissant he had ever had in his entire life. The girl watched him, gauging his reaction, and couldn't help but giggle.

"The perks of living at a bakery." she said, still giggling. "Feel free to stop by at any time." she added with a smile. Adrien nodded and finished off the pastry before eyeing her sketchbook. He wiped his hands on his pants before gesturing towards said object.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked.

"Not at all!" she replied, happily handing him the book. He carefully flipped through the pages, looking over her sketches and nodding in approval. Once he had seen everything she had in the sketchbook, he handed it back to her, the page she had been working on open.

"They all look really good! You've got some real potential…. Umm…" He trailed off, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he realized he didn't even know her name. She looked at him confused until it hit her.

"Oh! My name is Marinette." she said, smiling brightly at him and holding out her hand. He was dazed by her smile for a few seconds before offering her his own. He took her hand in his, hiding the shock he felt when he saw his world brighten more.

"Adrien." Her grin grew more and she pulled her hand away.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Adrien."

"You as well, Marinette."

From there, the two chatted idly about nothing in particular while Marinette sketched. Adrien munched on a few more pastries after she insisted he did, saying that she wouldn't be able to finish them herself. Eventually, the sun began its descent and Adrien received a phone call from Nathalie. He answered the phone and his end was mostly "mhms" and "yes ma'am's" until he hung up with a "Goodbye." He let out a bit of a sigh and Marinette gave him a curious look. He looked over at her and gave her a weak smile.

"I gotta go.." he said, getting ready to get up.

"Oh!" Marinette stopped him in his tracks by placing a delicate hand on his arm. He looked down at her and felt his cheeks heat up. A light pink dusted her cheeks and she was looking up at him with a questioning look in her innocent doe eyes. "Could we umm…" Her eyes shifted away from his and she bit her lip, unsure how to phrase what she wanted to say. "Could I get your number?" she asked, her blush darkening. Adrien couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face.

"Yeah! Just give me your phone and I can put it in there. You can put yours in mine." He said, pulling out his phone and offering it to her. She visibly relaxed then, and that only made Adrien's smile grow. She pulled her phone out of her pocket as well and then the two traded. It only took a few moments to put in their numbers and return each other's phones. They were left with a bit of an awkward silence. Adrien brought a hand to the back of his neck, scratching it a bit nervously. "Well… it was nice meeting you Marinette."

She beamed up at him and Adrien swore his heart stopped. "It was nice meeting you too, Adrien."

They waved and, with extreme reluctance, Adrien left the garden and made his way home. As he drew closer to his house, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the new contact. _Marinette…_ he thought to himself, a huge grin spreading across his face. Things were starting to look up.


End file.
